Japan signs a military agreement with the Philippines...

[CBM]

Not something I saw coming... score one for the Filipino diplomatic corps...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d6d_1343092194

I just wish this whole thing didn't remind me of the years just before WW1...

[lastlid]

"China 60th Anniversary Parade - Women's Army in Pink Uniforms.
You would probably get a load of bullets between the eyes if you ask them to make a rice sandwich for you. I would totally surrender to these little gals."

Don't let Graham see this video....:icon_lol:

[lastlid]

Not something I saw coming... score one for the Filipino diplomatic corps...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d6d_1343092194

I just wish this whole thing didn't remind me of the years just before WW1...

I am constantly keeping abreast of developments on this. Like I said before, it doesn't seem to want to go away. The Chinese juggernaut keeps rolling on....

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48332373/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/#.UBJm4e3kp-E

I was reading, yesterday, about the islands north of Luzon. They aren't inside the 9 dash line but how long before they are?

Though on a lighthearted note, it doesn't look like they will continue to increase their tally of gold medals this time round which will buck recent trends.

[CBM]

"China 60th Anniversary Parade - Women's Army in Pink Uniforms.
You would probably get a load of bullets between the eyes if you ask them to make a rice sandwich for you. I would totally surrender to these little gals."

Don't let Graham see this video....:icon_lol:

It's OK, he's got me on "ignore"! :icon_lol:

Here's the link to the original news item..

http://japandailypress.com/japan-signs-military-agreement-pledges-support-for-philippines-096211

I just couldn't resist the goose-stepping line of white boots!

It reminded me of the Prologue to Sun Tzu's Art of War, where he drills the 180 concubines of the King of Wu...

[joebloggs]

always like a lady in a uniform :rolleyes:
i wonder why there was no nurses on parade :hubbahubba::angry:

[CBM]

The young ladies in the opening shot look just like my assistant when I worked in Beijing (no, I didn't) - she used to absolutely hate the task, which devolved on her as the prettiest girl in a large State Owned Enterprise, of slipping into a cheongsam of just that colour and presenting flowers to visiting dignitaries... one Cambridge MBA and two marriages and one child later she works for the head office of RBS in the UK!

[Terpe]

Not something I saw coming... score one for the Filipino diplomatic corps...

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=d6d_1343092194

I just wish this whole thing didn't remind me of the years just before WW1...

I was also surprised to read this news item. Thanks for the link.
I spent 20 years in Japan and must say this really does come out of the blue.

This is only my perspective based on my "experience", but a very significant number of Japanese seem sincerely embarrassed and regretful about what happened in the Philippines during WW1.
Completely opposite to their emotions and judgements when discussing the Chinese issues.
No offence intended to anyone. Just my personal opinion on the news item.

[CBM]

I am interested by the mention of North Korea.

I recall that, when I was living in Beijing, the number two in the North Korean regime paid a visit to Japan, returning via Beijing where he made a bolt for the South Korean Embassy and defected.

He had not defected in Japan for reasons which Terpe will understand - there are a lot of North Korean supporters amongst the Japanese Korean community (it is sald that the North Korean regime gets most of its foreign exchange from pachinko parlours run by North-sympathising Japanese-Koreans) and felt safer in Beijing.

The North Koreans then mounted an attack on the South Korean Embassy, which caused a severe sense of humour failure amongst their Chinese hosts. After a few weeks of stalemate, the defector was permitted to fly to Manila, from where after a few more weeks, he went to Seoul.

I was struck by how involved the Phiippines was in making these arrangements.

Certainly a rapprochement between the Philippines and Japan could be good.